You're probably chuckling at the idea of trying to explain delayed gratification or patience to your toddler. You feel they're too young to truly understand what it means to self-regulate, control excessive energy, or simply wait for anything. Teaching kids about patience involves more than making that or road trip go more smoothly. Patience is among your kiddo can learn while still young.

Still, according to research, patience is more of a muscle than a skill, and it takes practice and a lot of positive reinforcement. It's one of the first steps to teaching kids delayed gratification, which leads to success in all areas of their life, including their career, relationships, health, and more. Teaching kids patience can seem enigmatic because all children start out impulsive.

But amazingly, you can stretch their patience, and there are often several times in a day where you can reinforce patience with them. The goal is to help your grabby toddler learn to be patient by expecting him to wait for a teensy, tiny bit, then a bit more, and even more. Read on to learn 6 tips on how to teach your child patience.

Make The Experience Positive

According to , young kids have difficulty conceptualizing the necessity or benefits of patience. Not only is their idea of time not quite developed, but neither is their understanding of delayed gratification. Once you set a timeframe for something (when to give them a snack, when you'll get to your destination, etc.), they'll constantly ask if it's time yet, or if you're there yet. Be kind, patient, and positive when they ask, even if it's for the 20th time. They're not trying to be mean-spirited or selfish when they ask- they simply aren't able to conceptualize time yet. Don't snap at your child or for asking too often since it will reinforce the idea that waiting is a bad thing. However, stay calm and positive as they wait since it reinforces that waiting can be a good experience.

Model The Behavior

By now, we know that we need to model the habits that we want to see in our kids. Seeing parents and caregivers demonstrate patience makes your child more likely to be patient. In a world full of unexpected obstacles and delays, it can be extremely hard to stay cool, collected, and calm at all times. However, our kids need to see how we practice patience ourselves.

RELATED:

Limit Screens

We get it. Giving your toddler an is probably the easiest way to survive the wait. It's fine if your child has a video chat with her grandparents from the supermarket cart from time to time or if she's watching high-quality programming with her older brother while they sit in the car waiting for their older sibling to finish school. However, think twice before resorting to devices every time your kiddo is in a situation that needs patience. Remember that this is a muscle that needs to be trained. If your child never gets the chance to practice it, she cannot develop it.

According to , this means that when she enters a screen-free environment, like school, she may exhibit self-regulation challenges.

Get Physical

Have your kiddo work off that energy while she waits in line. Ask if she can stand on one foot, hop like a frog, wave her arms like a bird, sway like a tree in the wind, or even march like a soldier. You can also do the chicken dance or even play a game of Simon Says. advises trying these simple physical movements to keep her distracted and burn off that energy.

Do Not Resort To Bribes

Bribes won't work when training your child patience. Telling your child that he can have a cookie if he sits still for two minutes can send a counterproductive message. Your toddler will always expect something in return when he waits patiently. Besides, this reward-based approach may also lead to self-regulation issues in the future. The idea is for him to understand that moving on after waiting for long is the reward.

Instead, use powerful tools such as praise and to teach patience. When your toddler behaves well while waiting for your doctor's appointment, you should praise him. Tell him, "Wow. I know a boy who did a really great job being patient just now." Your kiddo will let out an excited "Me!" It's a win-win: he'll feel really proud of himself, and because you've encouraged his positive behavior, he's more likely to do it again the next time you're waiting.

Sources: , , ,